Department of Environmental Health Sciences
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Browsing Department of Environmental Health Sciences by Subject "Awareness"
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Item Awareness and preparedness of human monkeypox outbreak among university student: Time to worry or one to ignore?(Elsevier Ltd, 2022-10) Jairoun, Ammar Abdulrahman; Al-Hemyari, Sabaa Saleh; Abdulla, Naseem Mohammed; El-Dahiyat, Faris; Shahwan, Moyad; Hassan, Nageeb; Jairoun, Obaida; Alyousef, Nuha Ghazi; Sharif, Safia; Jaber, Ammar Ali SalehBackground: The growing number of human monkeypox cases worldwide illustrates the importance of early detection, prevention, management and quick action from healthcare authorities. The WHO confirmed a hundred of Monkeypox cases worldwide and disclosed Monkdypox as a worldwide emergency situation Objectives: To assess the knowledge about human monkeypox’ source, signs/symptoms, transmission, prevention and treatment among Al Ain university students in the UAE. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to assess Al Ain University students’ knowledge of Human Monkeypox. A validated questionnaire was distributed to students between lectures. The respondents’ knowledge of human Monkeypox was assessed by 21 questions that examined the participants’ knowledge of Monkeypox as follows: 5 items examined knowledge of the source, definition, and incubation time; 2items assessed the mechanism of transmission of human Monkeypox, 7 items assessed the signs and symptoms; 7 items assessed the preventative measures; and 6 items assessed the treatment modalities. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify the factors influencing respondents’ knowledge of human Monkeypox among university students. Results: A total of five hundred and fifty-eight (558) students participated in the study. The average knowledge score was 70.1%, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 68.9 − 71.3. Of the total participants, 111 (19.9%) had poor knowledge about human Monkeypox, 320 (57.3%) had moderate knowledge, and 127 (22.8%) had good knowledge. The results of the statistical modelling showed that Old age (OR 0.681; 95% CI 1.005–1.016), female gender (OR 1.26; 95% CI 0.813 –0.961), participants from medical colleges (OR 1.22; 95% CI 1.13 –1.32) having a history of human chickenpox infection (OR 2.6; 95% CI 2.3–2.9) and receiving information on human Monkeypox during education (OR 1.14; 95% CI 1.05–1.2) were strong determinants for good knowledge about human Monkeypox. Conclusion: knowledge of Monkeypox among the participants is relatively low, particularly regarding the epidemiology, symptoms and treatments. Therefore, increasing knowledge of Monkeypox will be key to enhancing the capacity to respond to human monkeypox cases and to relay pertinent data to a disease surveillance system. © 2022 The Author(s)Item Community Awareness and Performance regarding the Safe Use of Disinfectants and Household Cleaners during the Spread of COVID-19 in Lebanon(Horizon Research Publishing, 2023-12) Ghach, Wissam; Ibrahim, Sara Abou; Merhi, Areej; Buhamdan, Vanessa; Ghannam, Nermeen Bou; Salhab, RinaTo reduce the spread and transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the application of disinfectants and household cleaning products became a common practice worldwide during the pandemic. However, the literature revealed that these practices were associated with limited knowledge of chemical safety and resulted in several health hazards. This pilot study aims to assess the awareness and the performance of the Lebanese community regarding the safe use of household disinfectants and cleaners during the COVID-19 spread. This cross-sectional study was performed to evaluate the extent, to which the public community in Lebanon safely handles disinfectants and household cleaning products. An Awareness-Performance questionnaire was adapted from the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and Arabic-translated [1]. 922 respondents (aged ≥ 18 years old) participated electronically, and their data was analyzed using SPSS descriptive analysis and the Chi-Square test for significant differences (p < 0.05) among the studied variables. The study population showed lower percentages of awareness than performance regarding the safe usage of disinfectants and household cleaners. The highest percentages with significant differences (p < 0.05) were detected among females, university graduates, younger people, and participants who had not been previously diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus. Consequently, the study recommends additional investigations and awareness initiatives to be implemented in Lebanon. © The Author(s) 2023.Item Evaluation of awareness and performance towards COVID-related disinfectant use among the university communities in Lebanon(BioMed Central Ltd, 2023-12) Ghach, Wissam; Safwan, Jihan; Kerek, Racha; Alwan, NisreenBackground: The fast spread of COVID-19 reinforced the daily use of disinfectants around the world. However, the awareness gap of disinfectant use could lead to health risks during the prevention of the pandemic. This study aims to assess the level of awareness and performance towards COVID-related disinfectant use among various university communities (student, staff, and faculty) in Lebanon. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2021 and June 2022 among 925 participants (males and females aged between 18 and 64 years old) from academic settings in Lebanese universities using convenience sampling. An online validated survey (score-based questionnaire) of personal disinfectants’ utilization was conducted to evaluate the awareness and performance levels using SPSS (version 21). Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to check significant differences in awareness and performance levels among gender, age, provinces, educational level, university status, and field of study. Friedman test was used to test for significant differences in performance level questions pre-and post-COVID-19. The Spearman correlation test was used to determine the correlation between the awareness and performance of the respondents regarding the use of disinfectants. Results: It was found that the majority of the respondents showed a weak level of awareness (70.8%) while their performance (61.9%) was moderate. Spearman’s correlation analysis concluded a weak correlation between the awareness and performance levels (p < 0.01). The Mann–Whitney test indicated that there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in awareness and performance levels between males and females. Another notable variable was the educational level of the respondents (p < 0.05) with postgraduate degrees holders recording higher mean scores of awareness than the ones with undergraduate and high school degrees as per Kruskal–Wallis test. Significant differences were shown in awareness scores among the age groups and in performance scores among the field of study (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The study findings highlighted the necessity of awareness campaigns and training programs addressing the technical handling of disinfectants among the communities in Lebanon. Lebanese governmental authorities (Ministry of Public Health, MoPH, and Ministry of Education and Higher Education, MEHE), and the healthcare professionals and public health researchers in Lebanon may utilize this new evidence to initiate public health interventions as a part of the United Nations (UN) sustainability goal of wellbeing (Sustainable Development Goal 3, SDG 3). © 2023, BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.Item Testing the level of awareness on testicular cancer among the UAE residents(Indian Journal of Public Health Research and Development, 2018-04) Topolskaya, Elizabeth; Ghani, Iqra; D'Silva, Jessica; Abdulwahab, Abdulrahman; AlAbayechi, Siraj; El Khatib, RamiThis research article presents a quantitative study conducted in the UAE in efforts to test the level of awareness regarding general knowledge on testicular cancer (TC) and self-examination practices among male and female residents. The determined level of understanding will help tailor the educational campaigns in order to provide information specific to the public need. The survey focused on 529 UAE residents, prioritizing males (71%) above females (29%). Less than 25% correctly identifies the age group, which has the highest risk of developing TC. Only approximately 30% of participants chose correct risk factors for developing TC. Furthermore, almost 50% of the surveyed individuals thought of lack of sexual function as a symptom of spread TC, which could create a fear barrier towards contacting health professionals in case of any concerns. Lastly, the results revealed that nearly half of male respondents either never or rarely self-examined. Our study suggested that the general public in the region currently possesses little information regarding the symptoms, risk groups and self-examination practices; thus, showcasing the necessity of educational campaigns targeted at improving levels of awareness. Using some of the recommendations we highlight as a means to address the current situation. © 2018, Indian Journal of Public Health Research and Development. All rights reserved.